Saturday 30 September 2023 11:00
It is not too early to be informed; it is not too late to act.
On the 30th of September, the World Alzheimer’s Month, the Athens Alzheimer Association, in collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), is organizing an all-day festival at the SNFCC Lighthouse, titled Dementia, Before and After and aiming at informing the public about the scourge of the dementia epidemic in the 21st century.
According to recent statistics, 5% of people over the age of 65 and 1 out of 5 people over the age of 80 will suffer from some form of dementia, the most common among them being Alzheimer’s disease. In Greece, 160,000 people suffer from dementia and 280,000 people suffer from mild cognitive impairment, that is often the precursor of dementia. If we take into account the fact that, for each patient with dementia, the life of at least 2 caregivers-family members is significantly affected, the condition is of immediate concern to more than one million Greek citizens. The numbers are expected to rise dramatically in the future due to the increase in life expectancy the world over.
The last year brought along some good and promising news for people with dementia and their families. The President of the Athens Alzheimer Association and President of the National Observatory of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, Dr. Paraskevi Sakka, points out: “This year saw some significant progress in the pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and many new organizations and services for dementia have been established and operate throughout Greece. However, early diagnosis of dementia, the control of risk factors, and its prevention through lifestyle changes that is the responsibility of each of us, remain our most effective weapons against the disease. In addition, the State must take action to improve the lives of patients and caregivers by fully implementing the National Action Plan for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
The Alzheimer Festival 2023 is organized for the first time this year, aiming to inform patients and caregivers about means of support and sources of help that are available to them, and the general public about the prevention of dementia and the reduction of risk of the disease. The key message of the festival, as well as of the Alzheimer International Society, for this year’s World Alzheimer’s month is that it is never too early to be informed and it is never too late to ask for help.
The Alzheimer Festival will be held on Saturday, September 30, 11:00 to 22:00, at the Lighthouse of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), with free admission. On the part of the SNFCC, the festival is materialized thanks to a grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Over the course of the festival, the public will be informed by specialized scientists and health professionals about the plethora of organizations and services supporting people with dementia and their families throughout Greece. New scientific data on the diagnosis and treatment of dementia will be presented by panels of experts, featuring the President of the Athens Alzheimer Association, neurologist-psychiatrist Dr. Paraskevi Sakka, University of Athens Professor of Psychiatry Antonis Politis, Athens Alzheimer Association social worker Irini Vamvakari, and the Association’s legal counsel Giannis Bilianis. The public will be able to participate posing questions. The event will be concluded with some “laughter therapy” offered to everyone present by stand-up comedian Katerina Vrana.
The detailed program is as follows:
11:00-19:00 Information to the public about dementia prevention; innovative initiatives, organizations and services provided by the Athens Alzheimer Association; specialized training and support programs for caregivers; European research programs on dementia; and other Alzheimer’s organizations that operate in Greece.
12:00-19:00 Memory test for people over 60
19:30-20:30 Panel discussion featuring dementia specialists and Q&A participation of the public
20:30-21:15 Stand-up comedy show by Katerina Vrana
For more than 20 years, the Athens Alzheimer Association has been actively supporting people with dementia, their families and their caregivers, with a wide variety of initiatives and services. Among other things, the Association is operating 9 Day Centers and 4 Mobile Units for dementia throughout Greece; the Home Care program for people with dementia in Attica; the dementia assistance Helpline 1102, funded by the Ministry of Health and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. In addition, the Athens Alzheimer Association offers psychological support and caregiver training, a series of online services for people with dementia and their caregivers, public awareness-raising events on issues of early diagnosis and prevention, patient and caregiver rights advocacy campaigns, and implementation of European programs. All services of the Athens Alzheimer Association are provided free of charge. For more information on the Association’s services and initiatives, you may contact us at 210-7013271, or visit our website www.alzheimerathens.gr.
Saturday 30/09, 11.00
Lighthouse
Free admission
